Paneer Do Pyaza | Spicy Paneer Curry

Paneer Do Pyaza or Spicy Paneer Curry is a delicious curry made with onions added at two different stages. If you are an onion and Paneer lover, this is a recipe you need to try. 

Paneer Do Pyaza, a delicious restaurant-style paneer curry is perfect with any roti or rice. The first time I tasted this was at one of my friend's houses and immediately fell in love with the recipe.

I am an onion lover and I always like extra onion in all my food. Yes, I am one of those people who ask for extra onions when ordering at subway. Oh, and I also top it with sweet onion sauce.

So, why are we talking all about onion when the recipe is for a paneer subzi? As the name of the recipe says, this paneer curry is loaded with onions. It has onions cooked in two ways and hence the name Paneer Do pyaaza, literally translated as Paneer with 2 different layers of onions.

Onion in Paneer Curry -

So this recipe has onions added to it in two different stages and also the onions are cooked differently. One set of onions is cubed into ½-inch pieces and sauteed until it is golden brown and sweet. The other set is used in making the gravy for the curry. The cubed onion gives the curry a crunch and also adds sweetness.

What to serve with this Paneer curry -

This paneer subzi pairs very well with paratha, naan, or roti. I love it with some simple peas pulao and Dali Thoy as well. This time I served it with gluten-free Buckwheat flour paratha.

How I can make the Paneer Do Pyaaza Vegan -

Paneer subzi happens to be my kid's favorite and I make many different ones. Many times I replace the paneer with tofu and it is equally as good. So if you are a vegan, I would absolutely recommend trying the same recipe with tofu.

Other than the paneer, this recipe is entirely vegan. It does not use any kind of cream instead I soak cashews and make a paste out of it and use it to make the curry richer.

Also, I have a large list of recipes that I make with Paneer. Do check them out here

Preparation time – 10 minutes
Cooking time – 40 minutes
Difficulty level – easy

What do we need to make Paneer Do Pyaza 

Paneer (Indian Fresh Cheese)  -

Fresh homemade paneer is the best. I don't always have fresh paneer in hand, so I use store-bought ones. The only suggestion I have is to use them fresh. Also, I like my paneer pan-fried and to avoid the paneer becoming hard, I place them in hot water right after I fry it. This ensures that the paneer remains soft. I have a couple of recipes to make homemade paneer.

Homemade paneer - Homemade Indian Cottage Cheese

Making Paneer At Home

Onions - 

This recipe is loaded with onions hence use any onion that you like. I have used red onions, sweet onions, and yellow onions and my favorites are sweet onions and red onions. I have also used both of them together and it works just as well. 

Tomato - 

We could use fresh tomatoes and puree them or also use canned tomatoes. Use whatever you have in hand. 

Ginger and garlic paste - 

I use store-bought ginger and garlic paste, but sometimes use freshly ground ones as well. You could also use finely chopped/minced ginger and garlic as well. 

Red chili powder -

I like to use Kashmiri Red chili powder as it gives the dish a bright red color without making it too spicy. Again, anything that you like works. 

Cumin coriander powder - 

Again, this is something that we can easily get at Indian grocery stores. I usually buy it ready-made. If you can't get to an Indian store, simply dry roast some coriander seeds and cumin and grind it in a spice blender. 

Turmeric powder - 

We grew up using fresh organic turmeric roots that are sun-dried and ground to powder. I buy organic turmeric powder from my local whole food store or Indian store. I would highly recommend buying it organically as many times they have additives added in it to give the bright color. 

Garam masala - 

Again, this is an essential Indian spice blend that can be bought in Indian stores. My local whole food store also carries it in bulk. I get mine from India as my aunt makes a fresh batch for me every year. 

Kasoori methi / dried fenugreek - 

These are sun-dried fenugreek leaves that are sold at stores as Kasoori methi. This is like any dried herb that adds a lot of flavor to Indian curries. 

Salt 

Cashew nuts - 

This is used to add creaminess to the gravy. 

Cumin seeds 

Bay leaf 

Oil 

How to make Paneer Do Pyaza –

We begin with frying the paneer until it develops some color and then place them in a bowl of hot water. This helps in keeping the cheese pieces soft. We can also use the paneer pieces without frying, but we like it this way.

Then we add more oil to the same pan and fry the cubed onions until golden brown and keep it aside. 

Again, in the same pan, we add the remaining oil and start by cooking the cumin seeds and bay leaf. 

Next goes the finely chopped onions and they are Sautéed until golden brown.

Then we add turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin and coriander powder, garam masala, and salt and cook. 

Next goes the pureed tomatoes and we let them cook for about 10 minutes.

Now we add the fried cubed onion along with paneer pieces and kasuri methi and mix well.

We can add about ½ a cup of water (if needed) and let it simmer for about 5 minutes for the flavors to combine.

The cashew paste is added at the end and the subzi is done. 

I served it with Buckwheat flour paratha / kuthu Paratha.

Other Subzi recipes

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Recipe

Paneer Do Pyaza

Paneer Do Pyaza | Spicy Paneer Curry is a delicious curry made with onions added at two different stages. If you are a onion and Paneer lover, this is a recipe you need to try. 

5 from 15 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 Servings

Calories: 323kcal

Author: Sandhya Ramakrishnan

Equipment

• ▢
  Wide pan
• ▢
  Blender
• ▢
  Stove

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups Paneer Indian Fresh Cheese (cubed)
• ▢ 2 Onions chopped finely plus 1 (chopped into ½ inch cubes)
• ▢ 2 Tomato pureed
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Ginger and garlic paste
• ▢ 2 teaspoon Red chili powder
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon Cumin coriander powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Garam masala
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Kasoori methi / dried fenugreek
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Cashew nuts soaked
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• ▢ 1 Bay leaf
• ▢ 3 tablespoon Oil

Instructions

• In a wide pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and add the cubed paneer pieces in it. Fry the paneer until it develops some color and then place them in a bowl of hot water. This helps in keeping the cheese pieces soft. We can also use the paneer pieces without frying, but we like it this way.
• Add one more tablespoon of oil in the same pan. Once the oil heats up, add the cubed onion pieces and fry it until light golden brown. Remove it in a bowl and keep it aside.
• In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaf. Let them fry for about 20 seconds.
• Now add the finely chopped onions. Sauté the onions until golden brown.
• Add the turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin and coriander powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well and fry for about 2 – 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile grind the tomatoes to a smooth paste. Add this paste to the onion mixture. Let it cook for about 10 minutes.
• Now add the fried cubed onion along with paneer pieces and kasuri methi and mix well.
• Add ½ a cup of water (if needed) and let it simmer for about 5 minutes for the flavors to combine.
• Grind the soaked cashews into a smooth paste and add it to the gravy. Mix well and let it come to one quick boil.
• I served it with Buckwheat flour paratha / kuthu Paratha.

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 36mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 552IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 384mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @Sandhya.Ramakrishnan or tag #MyCookingJourney!